Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-03-24
, TERRIABLE HOLOCAUST.
, uotaI Fire in Buffalo Causes Great
Destruction of Life.
LIST ofthe Dead and Injured so Far
as Can be AScertained.

~. Friday the news flashed over the
,ires that second Newhall house horror
bad occurred in Buffalo. The splendid
Nav Richmond hotel at the corner of Main
on5 Eagle streets, and extending through
- Washington street, was totally de-
,troved by fire which was discovered at
g.g0 this morning, together with St.
lanes hall and other adjacent property.
The most distressing part of the disaster
i the loss of several human lives. At
Nj. writing 40 a. M it is impossible to
cav inst how many persons are killed and
iniured but the number is large. The
raoidity of the fire, cutting off means of
escape. led some persons to leap for life
rom the windows. Others got down the
FIRE escapes or on Hayes ladders raised
by the fire department.
The spread of the flames is said to
have been frightful in its rapidity. The
elevator shaft served as a fue for the
fam es, and they rushed up to the top
aoor in very few moments. AS the
CHESTS were reused exits cut off, thsy
turned to the windows. They could be
seen in their nightclothes standing out
clear and vivid before the lurid back
we're horfiable to hear, and they could be
heard for blocks. The flames spread to
the southeast side of the hotel first. The
fireman did notable work, and confined
the fire to the narrow limits of the three
bindings named. Their work of rescue
had many exciting incidents. The tele
graph wires were as usual in the way of
the ladder brigade, and much valuable
-, az
them.
THE sHRIEKs AND CRIES
of the people in the upper stories o. the
burning structure were heartrending.
one man, mad with terror leaped from a
third story window and was picked up
from the stone sidewalk on Nam street a
mangled and bleeding corpse. Several
who succeeded in making their escape
we're badly injured and burned, ass some
of these will probably die. Others, more
fortunate, escaped with slight injuries
Many Of the wounded wore taken to Car
news saloon and afterwards TO hospitals
Among these was f. II. Bryant, a New
York travelling man, burned about the
feet and hands; NJ. w. Barse, of Olean,
terribly burned about hands and wrists ;
Robert Stafford, senior proprietor of the
hotel with mis- wife occupied rooms on
the second floor and had a narrow es-
cape Terror oyercame everybody, and
even those who escaped in safety were in
many cases Frustrated by their awful ex-
perience
The loss is very heavy. The hotel
will be fitted up at cost of 100000 and
the building was valued at $150,000 Bun
usl's museum was built at a cost of
$4,000 and the loss to interior fittings
will probably amount to $4,000.
At a. M, the estimated loss of life
was reduced to twelve, but this is mere
guess work. There we're 1876 persons in
the hotel, 20 of whom we're transient
guests, boarders and the remainder
porters, bell boys, families of proprietors
and clerks. Twenty two of these were
rescued from windows by fremen, % are
at hospitals, and large number made
their escape by other means.
The origin of the fire is yet unknown.
Vim. II. Airport, night clerk, says: The
fire started III the cloak room, under the
main stairway, at $50 o'clock. There
was nobody up but myself, Joe, the
night porter, and Plummer, bell boy.
pulled all four of the fire alarms on the
different floors and people came flying
down stairs in their night clothes. The
ire followed the elevator, and inside Of
SIX minutes it reached the sixth floor.
rushed out of doors after doing all l
s0uld'
Bell-boy Plummer tells his experience
as follows: Il was busting the reading
room when | heard q shout and saw
flames coming up the stairwas from the
bassm emit MIR. Airport and turned on
the hose under the main stairway. We
Strengthened the hose ont and turned the
valve but the water would not run. Then
We gave the alarm. The Waterman and
got plank and broke in the Eagle
street and we helped people down.
thnk there We're about eightyfour
guests in the house.
a. ii. Bowen, of Tonawanda, says; 81
was on third floor with J. 4. McCsrdy,
81 louisville. We escaped in our night
sair's. / went back for my watch and
came near being burned to death. Thank
1od ! am not hurt. One Of the saddest
secrets Of the canfsgration was the fall
~ q man from a widow to the roof of the
structure adjoining on Main street, here
loiofe mentioned. He was William Pur-
cet. 81 this city, local agent of Brad
streets, He must have been severely
oofSed internally. In falling he struck
on hl- head ana died almost instantly.
AI. Gnd Mrs, VIM. B. Mann, part pro
Ffletor Of the hotel, had a narrow eacase
@Is. Mann was frightfully bnrned about
Ae aaad arms and legs. The last per
.'hs taken alive from the building were
.No domestics taken from the southern
s.a Of the fifth floor by fremen. VIM j,
Ackee Of New York md YIN = lamb
=. Ne7 York, escaped from the fourth
-7'r by the fire escape. Mrs. Spencer of
2!taease, escaped in her night shirt with
IS. meek and hands badly burned. An
.-AAo"n man was killed by Jumping
..o. window, Mark Osborne, clerk OF
s. MOTEL is missing. j. Il. Van Buren,,
II oaukirk, was carried ont bya fremen.
.4s man hung outside window four
MINUTES before he was rescued.
g.Fssf #ffT u.